making faces

In the last episode, you saw my plan to stitch the commonality of faces in trapunto style. By removing all color, I hope to demonstrate how the features of a 21st century Caucasian makeup model are every bit as exaggerated as an African mask or a Chinese opera performer.

(Below) Looking around my studio for a suitable fabric, I rediscovered this rough linen shirt from my trip to Turkey. It’s constructed from lengths of 15” wide with a striped red edging.

I deconstructed the shirt, and now the project is coming right along. Below are 8 of the 9 trapunto sections.

As with the faces in my last piece (the blue one, Anonymous) I simplified the facial features into a line image, printed it on oaktag, fused the image to woolen felt, cut it all out, and fused those bits onto the background wool. For some, I peeled a bit of the oaktag off, to reveal the color of the felt ( the orangey lips and eyelids here), which shows through the linen as just a tiny bit of shading.

(Below) Queen Elizabeth is known for her regal appearance. Lace and jewels provided a theatrical frame for her white-lead-based heavy makeup. I combined different images (1 & 2) to create a face (3) where the features are minimalized, and the ‘frame’ exaggerated. As usual, I cut out the sections, leaving the lines as negative space (4).

I had stitched the face and about a third of the surrounding lace before I realized……the lace should not be presented as negative lines. With lace, the thread lines are the subject matter - the spaces between those lines are the negative spaces (no, I didn’t take any photos of that mistake - I just started cutting). A lovely antique lace collar (5) now surrounds her face, which I’m busy sewing down.

Compare the insignificant eyes and mouth - and hair - of Elizabeth with the enormous features of the face below left. Clara Bow, a hundred years ago, is on the right.

(Below) Some of you may recognize this face from my Ethiopian Magic Healing Scrolls Tablet. I added that unique twisted nose found only on Ethiopian art.

(Below) I love the proud expression on the face of this Maori woman. I hope my stitching has done her justice.

That’s all for today. Photos and explanations of the others next week

Stay safe. Stay sane.

Diane